Game apparatus



Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

; INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES HENRY A. BEERBAUM, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application filed June 7, 1920. Serial No. 387,027.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY A. BEERBAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to game devices and is particularly directed to a punch board.

In punch boards which have no receptacle for retaining the'markers after they have been unched, it is practically impossible to guar against fraud, or deceptive operation of the board. T 0 guard against this, boards have been constructed with a compartment attached to the back of the board to retain the markers. These boards, however, have not been-"satisfactory for the reason that they still permit fraudulent manipulation. For instance, counters are frequently inserted through the openings after the counters or balls have been punched. They have also been inserted around the transparent window, which is usually provided in the front of the board, by springing the board along the division line between the upper and lower half so as to provide an opening large enough to permit the passage of one of the counters.

It is to guard against these fraudulent manipulations that the present punch board has been designed.

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide a punch board which cannot be manipulated so as to fraudulently register a scoring punch. I

Other objects are to provide a? punch board in which novel means are provided for securing great strength for the board; for retaining the counters in such position as to be visible until discharged by the owner; and to provide means for preventing the counters previously punched from becoming mixed with the counters that are punched upon the succeeding plate.

Other objects of this invention are to provide a punch board which is of simple design; which may be readily manufactured; and which may be discarded after one use.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the board, parts being shown in section to more clearly illustrate the construction.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig 1.

he device comprises a boxlike construction which may comprise a back member 1, spacing members 2 forming the upper, lower and side walls of the box, and a front perforated member 3. Balls or counters 4 are carried Within the perforations 0f the front member 3 and are retained in position by means of thin sheets of paper 5 and 6 pasted upon the front and rear sides of the member 3. Superimposed upon the member 3 is a sheet 7 having perforations 8 registering with the perforations 9 in the member 3. These perforations 8 are of smaller diameter than those in the member 3.

The composite front face of the board and the rear face are secured to the side walls 2 in any suitable manner, as by nailing, for instance, as shown in Fig. 3.

The space within the device is divided into an upper compartment 10 and a lower compartment 11 by means of a spring tongue 12 which is secured at one end between a spacing block 14 and a bottom block 15. At the farther end, the spring tongue 12 bears upon the lower side of a second spacing block 16. These blocks 14. and 16 may be formed of wood and may be of triangular shape so as to provide inclined surfaces 17 along which the balls or counters will roll, such balls or counters finally arriving at the spring tongue 12 upon the upper side of which they are temporarily retained.

The means for releasing the balls after a play, comprises a rod 18 which extends through a metal eyelet 19 at the upper end of the board and bears at its lower end upon the spring tongue 12. This rod may be provided with a handle 20 for ease of manipulation. When the rod 18 is depressed, the spring tongue 12 is depressed and occupies the dotted line position in Fig. 1, thereby allowing the balls to roll into the compartment 11. It is to be noted that the diameter of the rod, and correspondingly that of the metal eyelet 19, is smaller than the diameter of the balls so as to prevent the insertion of a ball when the rod 18 is withdrawn; the metal eyelet 19 prevents the enlargement of the opening in the compartment 10.

The boards 1, 3 and 7 extend from the upper edge to the lower edge of the device and are each formed of one integral piece of material. In order to render the balls visible after a play has been made, a piece of tending in unbroken continuity through-. out the entire front face of the device and providing no point for the insertion of counters from the outside of the device.

To further guard against springing of the faces of the board and also to reinforce the device, a spring member 23 is attached at 24 to the upper inner face of the upper side wall 2 of the board. This spring member is of a Width substantially equal to the depth of the space 10 and serves to brace the front and rear faces of the board so that collapsing of the device will not occur when the pressure is exerted.

In order to provide increased bearing surface for the spring 23, the lower edge is bent outwardly to provide arms 24 and 25, such arms being downwardly curved to allow the balls to roll off of these arms in case they drop thereon. The resiliency of the spring ermits it to move sidewise to adjust itself to varying conditions of operation, for instance, in assembling the board, a line of holes may come directly over the spring 23 and when the balls are punched inwardly, the springwill move slightly to one side. and allow the 'balls to pass.

It will thus be seen that a simple, easily made device has been provided which will answer all of the purposes for which it is intended and which will prevent fraudulent manipulation. It will also be noted that a board has been produced which does not require the attendance of the owner during the time the play is made but automatically retains the punched balls until released by the member 18. This gives greater applicability of the boards and coupled with its sturdy construction and the protection it affords against fraud, contributes to produce an unusually eflicient and serviceable punch board. l

I claim:

1. A punch board comprising a boxlike structure, having front and rear members, the front member being composed ofan indicator car ing a perforated member, a

puncturable s eet superimposed upon said perforated member, and a second perforated member superimposed upon said puncturable sheet and having its perforations alined with and of a smaller size than the perforations in said. first mentioned perforated member.

2. A punch board comprising a fiat boxlike structure having front and rear walls, said front wall having perforations, counters positioned within said perforations and' arranged to be punched into the inner portion of the device, a spring partition positioned within said device secured at one end and free at the other, said board having a reinforcing eyelet and a rod extendin from the outside of said board throughsald eyelet and bearing upon the free end of said spring.

3. A punch board comprising a boxlike structure having front and rear walls, said front wall having perforations therein, counters arranged within said perforations and adapted to be punched into the interior of said device, said front Wall having a cutout portion, a transparent window mounted.

within said cutout portion, and means for temporarily retaining the punched counters adjacentsaid window, said front and rear walls being integral throughout the extent of said device.

4. A punch board comprising a boxlike structure having front and rear walls, said front wall having perforations, counters arranged within said perforations and a reinforcing member positioned between said front and rear walls to prevent collapsing of said board.

5. A punch board comprising a boxlike structure having front and rear walls, said front wall having perforations, counters arranged within sa1d perforations, and a resilient reinforcing member positioned between said front and rear walls to prevent collapsing. of said board and arranged to .have a slight movement relative to said front and rear walls.

6. A punch board comprising a boxlike structure, having front and rear members; the front member comprising an indicator carrying a perforated member, a puncturable sheet superimposed upon said perforated member, and a'seoond perforated member superimposed upon said punoturable sheet, said perforations terminating above the bottom of said boxlike structure and said front, extending integrally completely over said boxlike structure.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. BEERBAUM.

\Vitnesses:

A. R. WOOLFOLK, Jr., J. Moss. 

